Search

I had forgotten about the highway head turns and hollars, the uncompromising loyalty to garments that are decades older than me, the vastness and variety of this continent. The chorus of Worn Wear sentiments sing: on the road again.

Editor’s note: Oregon, British Columbia and Nevada residents can still catch Delia (the repair wagon) and the Worn Wear crew at a stop near you. Check the tour dates for details.

This is the second installment from our man on the ground in Paris for the UN Conference on Climate Change, Santa Barbara Independent Editor-at-Large, Ethan Stewart. Catch up with part 1 if you missed it. Above: 350.org founder, Bill McKibben (glasses and Red Sox hat), joins an impromptu protest in Le Bourget towards the end of the two-week climate conference. Photo: Kodiak Greenwood

Patagonia in Paris

One of the loudest and most critical messages to come out of Paris during the COP21 was that the international business world is finally getting on board with the benefits of putting Mother Earth before profit margins. As evidenced by testimony provided during countless side panels and spin-off talks between CEOs and various insiders and watchdog groups during the two-week conference, private industry has awoken to the bottom-line benefits of having smaller carbon footprints, planet-pleasing corporate policies and a brand identity that is markedly pro-Earth. Simply put, it is no longer just a moral compass that guides a company to a more eco-savy way of doing business, it is just plain and simple sound financial policy.

For the past month, the entire world has been focused on Paris. First, an act of pure and peace shattering barbarism brought the City of Lights directly into focus in the hearts and minds of all of us just two weeks before Thanksgiving. And then, with the hurt still raw and hemorrhaging in worldwide waves of fear, arguably the biggest environmental gathering of this modern age descended upon the scene. 2015 is about to conclude as the warmest year on record here on Planet Earth, just a year after 2014 earned the same distinction. The planet, like it or not, is changing, and 194 countries from around the world have come together to try and do something about it.

Above: Public assembly has been shut down during the conference due to security concerns, but the arts community has found creative ways provide a voice for the many. #HumanEnergy display by artist and researcher Yann Toma. Photo: Kodiak Greenwood

Ken Yager is a man who understands the value of volunteerism. He approaches his work with the belief, creativity and passionate toil of a big wall climber. It’s an apt metaphor as he’s climbed El Capitan dozens of times. Along with his wife Schree and two children, he lives in El Portal, located three and half miles down the road from the Arch Rock entrance station to Yosemite National Park. And as the founder and cardiovascular system of the Yosemite Climbing Association, he is a leader of ideas and action.

The Yosemite Climbing Association represents an international community of climbers who are also activists, dreamers and doers. Core to the Yosemite Climbing Association’s mission is the preservation of the artifacts and lore of every age of Yosemite climbing history. Through Ken’s sharp eye, ear and hand, the collection covers a critical portrayal and understanding of the importance and scope of Yosemite’s impact on global climbing.

Above: Ken Yager and Lynn Hill at the Facelift sign-in table. Lynn was one of 1,467 unique volunteers who participated in this year's trash-cleaning event. Yosemite National Park, California. All photos by Steve Rathbun / Courtesy of Yosemite Facelift

Every year around this time, we are vividly reminded of our late friend and ambassador, Jonny Copp. Beside his innumerable climbing achievements, Jonny founded the Adventure Film Festival in 2003. He envisioned a community-based, mission oriented, outdoor film festival that tied indie film with art and activism. Twelve years later, it's an idea that's as important and popular as ever.

The 2015 Adventure Film Festival is happening this weekend (September 12-13, 2015) in Boulder, Colorado. Check out the trailer and then visit adventurefilm.org for tickets, the full schedule and more information about satellite screenings later this year in Chile, New York and North Carolina.

For the past few years, a small group of kiters here at Patagonia have participated in Kiteboarding 4 Cancer, a spectacularly beautiful kite race in Hood River, Oregon designed to raise money for the survivor-focused nonprofit, Athletes 4 Cancer.

Cancer has impacted all of our lives—we’ve loved and cared for friends, family, co-workers and acquaintances battling the disease. We know about the treatments, the medications, the prognoses. For survivors, however, life after cancer looks quite a bit different from the lives they put on hold. When treatment concludes survivors must bravely discover their new “normal” in a world where others can’t possibly relate to their unique situations. Often, with little traditional medical support, they must navigate an entirely new physical and emotional landscape, complete with physical challenges, changes in appearance and a lingering uncertainty about the future.

That’s where Athletes 4 Cancer (A4C) steps in. This nonprofit is dedicated to sending cancer survivors to outdoor adventure camps. More than just another cancer support group, Athletes 4 Cancer’s Camp Koru utilizes the transformational power of nature and the spirit of determination required by outdoor sports to restore and rebuild lives after cancer.

As with most years, Patagonia celebrated a belated Bike to Work Week (B2WW) due to business conflicts. And yet again we had fantastic participation. Here in Reno, we collectively rode 4,586 miles but the crown deservedly goes to our North American retail stores who together rode 5,833 miles—with extra kudos for our Freeport store colleagues who rode a huge 1,176 miles! For every mile ridden, Patagonia donated $1 to a local cycling orientated non-profit. This year, the Reno D.C. mileage money went to the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway, a non-profit that is spearheading construction of a bike path along the river Truckee, starting at Lake Tahoe and finishing at Pyramid Lake.

Upon arriving at work on the Monday of B2WW, we received the worst possible news. One of our colleagues, Adam Excell in Toronto, had been struck and killed by a driver while cycling over the weekend.

Frank spent his youth climbing on the East coast. His path took a turn in 1972, when he hitchhiked west and saw Devil’s Tower for the first time. Now, at 63, Frank owns and guides out of Devil’s Tower Lodge. He shares the story of his journey and what it’s like having found his place.

Over the last seven years, Tommy has spent month long chunks of time focused on climbing The Dawn Wall, the hardest big wall free climb in history. On January 14, he and his partner, Kevin Jorgenson, pulled over the top of El Capitan into a swarm of cameras and microphones. He talks to Fitz about what it’s like to end a seven-year relationship with a project and how his life has changed now that people outside the climbing world recognize him.

One of the most responsible things we can do as a company is to make high-quality stuff that lasts for years and can be repaired, so you don’t have to buy more of it. The Worn Wear® program celebrates the stories we wear and keeps your gear in action longer to take some of the pressure off the planet.

This spring—beginning April 4th in San Francisco—our biodiesel repair truck will travel coast-to-coast doing free clothing repairs, teaching you how to fix your own gear and selling used Patagonia clothing. Bring us your tired, well-loved clothing for repair. If you don’t have any, we’ll supply it. Fix it and you can keep it. Join us for local food and drinks and celebrate the stories we wear.

Hit the jump for the full tour schedule.

Above: Better Than New is a short film that introduces Patagonia’s new biodiesel repair wagon and pays tribute to the customers and repair techs who have kept our gear in use for over 40 years. Patagonia’s Reno Repair Department is the largest garment repair facility in the U.S.—completing about 30,000 repairs per year. Video: Dan Malloy

Until recently, our beautiful northern neighbor has gone underserved by the company. Though we’ve fought countless environmental battles in Canada and funded projects such as Groundswell, our brand brick-and-mortar presence has been minimal at best. Gallantly, Patagonia Toronto has held down the fort for us amidst all of the tuques and the, “ehs?”

This is why we are beside ourselves with stoke to announce that Patagonia now has a second store in Canada! The store is located in Vancouver, British Columbia and sits on the corner of West 4th and Maple, in the heart of Kitsilano, a cozy, walkable neighborhood that’s bustling with folks drinking good coffee and riding cool bikes. While the store can’t boast Cardiff’s ocean views, it is just up the hill from Vancouver’s most popular local beach.